LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Wrap up healthy goodness in these roasted veggie crepes


Roasted Veggie Crepes (aka Ratatouille in a Wrap) Photo Susie Iventosch

First, we roast a huge tray of assorted vegetables tossed in olive oil with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Then we chop it all up, mix it with grated Gruyere cheese and roll it into a freshly cooked crepe. I like to call it "ratatouille in a wrap." It is a dish I could literally inhale, it's that good! I've used an assortment of different vegetables over the years, and we love this combination, but if we are missing your favorite, give it a try and add it to this recipe. The nutty flavor of Gruyere is perfect with the roasted veggies, but a nice sharp cheddar or even Havarti would also complement the vegetables. You can make this dish either by roasting the veggies or grilling them on the barbecue. Either way, the flavors are delicious as the vegetables begin to caramelize and take on nice brown edges. I especially love grilling big slices of red onion, whenever a recipe calls for onions. If you haven't tried this it's a must! (They are amazing on burgers, too.)

RECIPE

(Makes 6-8 Crepes)

Roasted Vegetables

INGREDIENTS

1 eggplant, cut into large chunks (no need to peel or sweat the eggplant)

1 red or orange bell pepper, stem removed and cut into quarters

2 carrots, (any color or multi-colored) peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces and quartered lengthwise

2 zucchini, cut into 2-inch pieces and halved lengthwise

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and cut into quarters (stems and all)

5 Roma or vine-ripened tomatoes, cut in half

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 large red or yellow onions, peeled and cut into eight or so wedges per onion

2 large shallots, peeled and quartered

2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated (split roughly in half for inside the crepe and half for on top before baking)

1 recipe crepe batter (recipe below)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Clean all veggies and cut into the sizes called for in the ingredient list. You don't have to worry too much about the size, because you will be chopping them anyway. It is mostly designed so they will cook at roughly the same time. Toss with 2 teaspoons Italian herbs, salt and pepper and 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, to lightly coat all of the veggies before baking.

Prepare a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread veggies out onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. If you find that you have too many veggies for your tray, don't worry just use a second tray! Roast the vegetables for 30-40 minutes, or until tender and beginning to brown a little on the edges. Turn them with a spatula about halfway through. At this time, you will probably discover that the tomatoes cook faster than everything else. If so, remove them and set aside while the rest of the veggies continue to cook.

Once veggies are all cooked, remove them from oven, cool to room temperature and coarsely chop veggies together. This step can be made a day or two ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container.

Crepes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup flour

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick butter (2.oz) for cooking crepes in frying pan

DIRECTIONS

Beat eggs, milk and salt in a bowl. With wire whisk, stir in flour and blend until smooth. Batter should be rather thin.

Heat a small amount of butter over medium heat in an 8- to 10-inch crepe pan or a frying pan with very shallow sides. Drop batter by a soup ladle into the center of the pan and holding the handle, swirl the pan to get the batter to fill in the bottom of the pan. Cook until the crepe looks bubbly and is set enough to flip. This will take about one minute or so. Flip with a large rubber spatula. Cook the second side for just about 30 seconds. Crepes will be like very, very thin pancakes. Repeat until all crepes are cooked. Place each cooked crepe in between sheets of waxed paper until ready to use. Can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated.

To Assemble Crepes:

Working in batches, lay each crepe out flat on a cutting board. Spoon three heaping tablespoons of veggie mixture into the center of the crepe. Sprinkle with a spoonful of grated Gruyere or other cheese of your choice. Roll up tightly and place in casserole dish, seam side down. Continue with remaining crepes until filling is used up. If you have extra filling, heat it and serve it over the cooked crepes or have it for lunch the next day. (It's delicious hot or cold.) Sprinkle the reserved grated cheese over the top of the crepes. Heat through in 350 F oven until filling is hot and cheese on top melts and begins to brown.

Serve with a light salad of mixed greens and tomatoes, or shaved carrots.